Chapter 1
670 Words
Bhabi = sister in law
Bhai = brother
45 years ago
Third Person's POV
It was the first day of university. Salma was as frightened as she was excited. The whole university thing was going to be a refreshingly new experience.
During the time not many women could claim to have other females in family who were in college or had graduated but various women in Salma's family had this experience before.
Anyways even after all that she was still not as confident as one might think she should have been. She certainly had not seen so many different people in one place before.
It was a little difficult to read their faces. She had heard about from her cousins about other girls who try to degrade humiliate or destroy you.
Little did she know it was not going to be another girl that was going to drag her down.
She took two deep breaths, adjusted her shoulder bag and finally took the last steps through the big gates and finally entered her university. There were not a lot of people around.
Salma was going to calmly walk forward when she heard a honk. She looked back to see a car coming towards her. What remaining confidence she had left Salma and she fell to the floor and covered her eyes.
'I am dead, I am dead, I am dead.'
'Umm, hello? Miss?'
Salma quickly took her hands from her eyes and looked at the guy crouching next to her.
'Are you okay?'
Salma looked at the man then around her. She could swear she heard someone snickering. She looked back at the man who had now extended her hand out to her as to help her up.
She ignored the hand and got up herself. She was beyond embarrased. This was not the first impression she wanted others to have of her.
The guy was still speaking she looked at him.
'... so sorry again. I told him to be more careful. There wasn't a crowd so he tho-'
'It's okay.' Salma cut his sentence. She did not want to make another scene.
'Oh I am sorry ag-'
'It's okay.' Salma asserted. She was still flustered. She pulled her bag again.
'I am Baqir by the way.' He again extended his hand.
'Yea...' Salma bowed slightly again ignoring his hand and turned around to go her way.
21 years ago
Third person's POV
'Mammaaaaaa.' Adan tried to convince his mother for the hundredth time. 'Please?'
'No, Adan, I said No.' Rukhsar was now frustrated with her. 'Please spare me now.'
'But Mama how often do I ask you for such things? Please?'
'Sehrish please take this boy from here.'
Adan looked at his sister-in-law. 'Bhabhi please ask her her to let me go. Please.'
Sehrish shook her head. 'How can she send you to some secluded place to God-knows-what friend of yours?'
'But Bhai has met Hunain. He has even met his uncle.'
'You have been on this for days. Stop it now.' His mother admonished him.
'Mama please?'
Zayan put down his folder. 'Fine I will go with him.'
Rukhsar looked at him. 'Don't give him any hope.'
Adan whose eyes had lit up looked at his mother. 'Whyyyy?'
'Mama I said I will go with him.'
'And how old are you to be taking responsibility for him.'
'Old enough.'
'Mama please?' Adan again made puppy eyes at her. 'Please? When do I ever ask you for anything?'
'Zayan you know the kind of people they are. One shouldn't have any relation with them. Not even friendship.'
'What kind of people are they?' Adan interjected. 'Rich?'
Rukhsar looked at him with disappointment. 'You know what I mean.'
'Mama nothing will happen.' Zayan tried to reassure her.
Rukhsar was still not convinced.
'What can go wrong? He will be going to his friend and after sometime we will come back.'
'Fine.' Rukhsar nodded. She was still worrisome. 'But you will avoid anything and everything that might get you on their bad side and just keep a low profile. You will go and then you will come back. That is all that will happen.'
Zayan's eyes were widening and finally he screamed.
'YEA YEAAAA YEAAAAAA... I promise. I promise nothing will happen.'
He looked happily at Zayan who rubbed his hair.
- Writer
